Present wrapping - arghhh!

Ditto. I used to pay my daughter when she was at school as she wraps wonderfully. I now use gift bags and stuff nice tissie papee on top,and the bags you just pull together. I just hate pointless wrapping as it gets ripped off anyway. Plus arthritis in my handsso not doing it! 🤣

I’m another ironing board user! I like to set up my shop, rolls of paper, sellotape - proper stuff not that cheap rubbish, gift tags, preferably self stick on ones and of course, music. I quite enjoy wrapping up, but always panic that I haven’t bought enough for everyone! Of course, you could always do what Smithy from Gavin and Stacy did - use tin foil!! It sounds a good idea - no sellotape needed, just crimp the foil around the presents! Don’t know if it’d work for big things like bikes though! Happy Christmas to you all

I don’t mind wrapping if I’m in the right mood, square or oblong are no problem, squashy things go in a bag with tissue paper. My top tips are to buy wrapping paper with squares on the back, don’t use more paper than you need because they look messy and bulky. Don’t buy cheap flimsy paper. But the life changer for me is a hot glue gun. Good bye sellotape for ever!

She will definitely notice…….but you could use a small piece of narrow grosgrain ribbon to strengthen the repair and make her new umbrella unique which will make it all the more special to her. When she uses it she’ll acknowledge that no one is perfect, accidents happen but you’ve put love into every stitch to hold things together for her.

ferry23 I’m sorry but I’ve just laughed out loud at you cutting the loop off.

I follow all these tutorials online for wrapping and they never look anyway like they should

I've ordered a pack of various sized foil christmas bags you just pop present inside pull the ribbons together and stick a tag on I'm not going back to wrapping paper

Lovetopaint037

I have bought some gift bags but feel I should wrap the actual presents. I hate wrapping presents as my efforts look terrible. So sorry about the umbrella. Do hope your sewing is successful.💐

I think that gift bags are the answer for smaller presents. You can wrap them in tissue first, it looks pretty if you have a few small presents in one bag, all wrapped in different toning tissue paper.

Hate present wrapping by the time I have a go looks like the bomb squad have been at it!
luckily OH is brilliant at wrapping though it does involve a lot of moaning but is worth it in the end!

I'm giving all my adult children and their children money now, the grandchildren all really like having "their own money" to buy things and it just needs a pretty envelope or one of those cards made for money if they don't have bank accounts. I do get some little easily wrapped presents too though, so that they have something to unwrap.
My husband and I usually exchange a little something to eat though I've also bought us both an old, coloured, OS map of our immediate area which I'm having framed. We've done this for every house we've lived in but not got round to doing it here yet. I doubt that he'll get me anything since we have an agreement not to buy for each other.

Astitchintime

She will definitely notice…….but you could use a small piece of narrow grosgrain ribbon to strengthen the repair and make her new umbrella unique which will make it all the more special to her. When she uses it she’ll acknowledge that no one is perfect, accidents happen but you’ve put love into every stitch to hold things together for her.

Funny you should say that - I made a pig's ear of trying to make it right so the loop is now even shorter. I have been searching through my sewing box for a suitable insert. I'm like the "Repair Shop" - except I seem to make it worse, not better . I can see myself cutting the whole bl*d loop off.

Oh Baubles I’m copying you this year. Fabulous 😁

Tut tut ladies! All that wasted paper. Use fabric and either pass it on or take it back to use next year
(Admittedly it is tricky to seal)

My present wrapping skills are getting worse every year so now I don’t bother, I buy loads of pretty decorated foil bags pop the present in and tie the ribbon in a bow Done !!! you can get these bags in a mixture of sizes from QVC or Amazon

Make it fun. Christmas music and glass of fizz. Buy cheap fabric or charity shop scarfs (best shop over the year) and go Japanese with wrap that can be reused.

I have adopted the Japanese/Korean tradition of wrapping gifts in cloth. It is very easy as you just need a square piece of cloth and you wrap and knot opposite corners. You can easily unknot and knot again, if you want to take away or add anything to the parcel. The wrapping cloths can be used over and over again so it is ecologically a good thing. The wrapping cloth can be used by the recipient when they next give a gift themselves. Or they can return it to you.

Unlike a Christmas sack, you don't have to sew seams and you can have small squares for small gifts. You can secure the edges with a pinking shears. I have some nice cloths made out of Christmas printed cotton and some colourful African printed cotton.. But you can use any suitable cloth you might have, like parts of worn clothes or household linen. In Korea they traditionally sew together small pieces of cloth to make bigger wrapping cloths which is very thrifty and are considered heirlooms but that is too much work normally for me.

Christmas gift bags and lots of tissue paper is often used here in the States. More expensive than wrapping paper, but so much easier! Happy Christmas GN’s!

Jane112

I was given a great tip for present wrapping this year, do it on the ironing board, no more sore knees and pins and needles from kneeling on the floor and no bending as it's height adjustable. For those who feel throwing everything in a gift bag unwrapped spoils the present opening experience try coloured tissue paper, you can just scrunch it round presents and drop them in the bag, it's much more forgiving than proper wrapping paper.

This is exactly what to do!! I’ve been doing the ironing board trick for years and may do the tissue paper one when I’ve run out of “proper” paper in about 2035! 😂

You could probably do it with paper ones; worth it in the end

Handy hint from DH, cut loads of bits of sellotape and stick one end to a suitable surface eg. edge of table or in our case the metal light shade that hangs over our table then use when needed 😀

I also hate present wrapping.
I don't know why .
I nearly ordered some of those squishy tie bags that look simple to use .
I've bought some boxes for costume jewellery and gift bags plus tissue .
It's wrapping stuff to post that almost defeats me .

I thought I was the only one that did this. There are more holes in the paper covered with bits of sellotape. My friends take it all in good part cos they always know my present and tell me not to change it’s the biggest laugh they have at Christmas

I don’t mind the actual wrapping, but my knees can’t take it these days. I prefer to wrap on the floor, I find it much easier, particularly for big items. I have to pace myself or I seize up.

I meant to say paper bags; definitely not plastic.

I went to a lot of effort in buying specific theme re-useable bags for my grandchildren. I did not wrap the multiple content. My DD told me off for "not bothering" and just sticking things in shopping bags!

I SO love wrapping things nicely.
I think I'm a bit extreme as I even send my shop-returns back very well packed!

Obviously I don't decorate the returns but do like to see everything tidy!

I unwrap gifts carefully and save any nice paper. I cut off any damages and have manilla type folders to store the smaller pieces in - one for Christmas off-cuts and recycled paper and one for "general wrap".

I do also keep the huge bottom drawer of a linen cupboard topped up with various paper - from hand-made silk, two-sided patterns to brown, melinex type and also a wide range of tissue papers.

My precious decorations include old velvet flowers (for weddings and special birthdays mainly),some 1960s grosgrain, early versions of cellophane for bows and so on - as well as rafia and modern ribbons.

I am a sucker for beautiful trimmings!

I think wrapping - even simple wrapping - is a small gift of love. 🥰